Elizabeth Elgin - Windflower Wedding

Sparrow would be pleased too with the bunch of Michaelmas daisies and chrysanthemums sent with Julia’s love, and the grave instructions to take care of herself now that the nights were drawing in, and to keep warm.

Dear Sparrow. So full of love and caring and cosseting. She had made life bearable again, and when the war was over and she had to return to Denniston House, she would miss Sparrow a lot.

She smiled as she crossed the road into Montpelier Mews, once upon a time the stables belonging to the big houses in the square. The little white house with its red tiled floors and shining brass doorknobs and handles was home to her now and Sparrow her best-loved person – apart from Tim, that was. It shamed her, sometimes, that if asked to place her right hand on the Bible and state who was most precious to her, she would in all conscience have to answer that it was Sparrow, hurt though her mother would be to hear it.

‘I’m home,’ she called, banging the outer and inner doors behind her. ‘Have you missed me?’

‘I’ll miss the peace and quiet now that you’re back. Are those flowers for me?’

‘You know they are. Aunt Julia picked them herself. She sends love and says you are to look after yourself.’

‘And is the dear lady well?’

‘She is.’

‘And happy?’

‘Very happy, Sparrow, and chasing around the parish doing her vicar’s wife bit and looking after Bas, who’s on leave for a couple of days.’

‘Your Aunt Julia should have had children of her own,’ Sparrow sighed, ‘but she left it over late. I suppose, now you’re back, I’d better make a pot of tea.’

Truth known, she had been waiting this hour past to make one and would have, were it not wasteful of the tea ration to use a precious spoonful for one person only, when that same spoonful could provide tea for two.

‘Yes, please. You put the kettle on whilst I unpack my gifts, food gifts! I tell you, Sparrow, you and I will be eating like lords this week!’

‘Hm. Well, I hope the food was honestly got, and not black market.’

‘It was – honestly got, I mean. Daisy’s father said he was sorry he couldn’t supply the butter to roast the pheasant in. And did any letters come whilst I was away and did Uncle Igor phone?’

‘No letters and no phone call – leastways, not from your uncle. But our Joannie rang to ask if you’d be busy on Tuesday night and I told her you wouldn’t be.’

‘But I’m doing escort duty with Sam from the convalescent home. We’re going up West to see The Dancing Years.’

‘She knows that. What she rang for was to see if you could manage an extra one. She thought the music might cheer him up. He’s at the same convalescent home as Sam, and waiting his turn to go for treatment.’

‘And is he –?’ There was no need to finish the sentence; no need to say the word.

‘Yes. Like all the others and in need of a kind word and a smile. Those smiles mean a lot, Joannie said. I’ll ring her back when we’ve had our cuppa and tell her you don’t mind taking one extra.’

‘No trouble at all, Sparrow.’

‘You’re sure, now, ’cos what I didn’t tell you is that he’s not only got burns – this lad got blinded as well.’

‘Hell!’ She shuddered, covering her face with her hands.

‘You don’t have to take him if it’s going to upset you.’

‘But of course I will. I want to. It was just that it doesn’t seem fair, does it?’

‘Life never is, girl.’

‘You don’t have to tell me. And I’ll manage all right. Sam will give me a hand, tell Joannie.’

‘You’re a good soul, Tatiana Sutton. You’ll get your reward in heaven.’

‘I’d rather have it here on earth. I’d swap all that heaven nonsense just to have ten minutes with Tim; say a proper goodbye.’

‘What do you mean – “heaven nonsense”? Blasphemous, that is!’

‘Well, I don’t believe in heaven and sometimes I don’t believe in God either – only in Jesus,’ she added hastily.

‘Well! I’m surprised at you! And what would your mother think to hear you say that?’

‘Nothing, because I wouldn’t say it in front of her.’

‘And you’d best not say it in front of me again either! Do I make myself plain?’

‘Yes, Sparrow, you do. And I won’t say it again if you’ll promise not to go on about it and try to convert me.’

‘Convert you? Now would I do that, and you so bitter inside that you can’t see the wood for the trees? Come here and let’s you and me have a cuddle because Sparrow understands. She really does.’

‘I know you do, and I’m sorry if I upset you,’ Tatiana whispered, hugging her close. ‘And I ought to be ashamed, shouldn’t I? At least I’m not injured, nor blind.’

‘No, girl, you aren’t.’ Sparrow shuddered even to think of that beautiful face burned and blistered and those big, brown eyes never to see again. ‘And that’s something to be thankful to God for, ’cos it’s all in His hands, and by the time you’re as old as I am you’ll have come to realize it, I hope.’

‘And how old are you, Sparrow?’ She didn’t want to talk about God.

‘As old as my tongue and a bit older than my teeth! So are you going to pour that tea before it’s stewed to ruination, and give me the news from Yorkshire?’ She had never been to Holdenby; probably never would, but that didn’t prevent her feeling a part of Rowangarth.

And Tatiana said she was, then whispered again that she was sorry, because not for anything would she upset Sparrow, who must be at least seventy-five.

Keth shook the hand of a colonel from Army Intelligence, who did not offer his name but asked him, pleasantly enough, to sit down and make himself comfortable.

‘So! The MO and the dental officer have given you the all clear; have you made a will?’

‘Yes.’ Talk of such things made him uneasy. Wills were for old people, he had always thought. ‘When I was first commissioned, I took care of that.’

‘And your next of kin is your mother?’

‘Yes.’ Mention of next of kin gave him the same feeling.

‘Just a precaution. Nothing sinister, but in view of the fact you’ll be under some slight risk …’

‘Slight!’ Keth jerked.

‘You’re having second thoughts? Because now’s the time to say so …’

‘No second thoughts. I was told there would be conditions and I accepted them. But don’t think I shall enjoy going, because I won’t! So does that make me a coward?’

‘No. I wouldn’t give much chance for the safety of any of our operatives who had no fear. Nor would I believe them if they said as much. And a man who admits fear, but still goes ahead with the job is far from being a coward.’

‘I’m a mathematician, sir. There’s not one iota of derring-do in my entire body.’

‘Then be glad of it. It’s the careful ones who make it home every time. But you aren’t a trained operator, as such. We’ve given you only enough knowledge to help you survive. The less you know, the better. We’ll put you ashore, you’ll be met and taken to a safe house. You’ll wait there until you hear that what you have gone to collect will be delivered to you.

‘Then you’ll hang on to it – study it all you can within the bounds of safety – and keep your head down until we can have you picked up. It will depend on weather conditions, and suchlike. Either the submarine that will take you out will bring you back, or we’ll send a Lysander in.’

‘And I’m definitely going in by submarine. No jumps?’

‘No parachuting. According to your records, you wouldn’t survive another jump!’

‘You could be right, sir.’ Keth managed a smile; one of relief rather than pleasure. ‘It’s an experience I’d rather not dwell on. The sea route sounds a lot safer.’